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‘State of the Student’ speech set for Thursday at CMU

Colorado Mesa University student body President Justin Kawcak will deliver a “State of the Student” speech at 2 p.m. Thursday in the University Center’s West Ballroom.

Kawcak, a master of business administration student at Colorado Mesa, will address various topics affecting the lives of this year’s students and students to come.

The speech will include details about how legislative cuts to higher education funding may lead to statewide increases in tuition and Colorado Mesa’s attempt in the Legislature this year to gain the authority to change its admission standards.

Trustees would have to finalize a higher standard, which would allow the university to admit more students who performed well in high school and accept those who did not with the caveat that those students won’t be able to take a packed course load or enter classes above their ability level and may have to attend Western Colorado Community College instead of the university, at least at first.

The address also will touch on job availability for graduates, demand from employers for graduates with certain degrees, and how students are building their résumés before graduation with involvement in activities, internships and other ventures, according to Colorado Mesa spokeswoman Dana Nunn.

The speech is geared toward students, but university faculty and staff and community members are welcome to attend.